Realistic or Modern Miracle Workers | In Character | Detailed/Semi-Detailed RP

[monochromegalaxy]

Miracle Workers' Playlist​

A blizzard of rubble and dust stung the Thaumaturgists’ exposed skin. The ground rumbled once more, the skyscrapers shaking and threatening to topple on top of the group of battered and beaten gifted that stood below. Blood and bodies piled up upon each other, a mix of grotesque creatures, innocent bystanders and other Thaumaturgists who were not so lucky.

The dust had finally settled. Lawson shakily pushed himself off the asphalt, craning his head up to see a mass of darkness emanating from the cloaked figure at the edge of the rift. A pair of glowing red eyes glared back, watching as the Thaumaturgists made attempts to stand on their feet. Some unmoving.

“A pity, really,” the cloaked figure sighed sardonically. Its voice was distorted, as if many voices spoke at once. “So skilled. So much potential.” As it finished its sentence, the figure casually walked towards the group, not bothering to step around them and stomping on hands, legs and backs on their way. “But I can’t dwell on the past. This must be done. I promise you, my intentions are just.” It stopped in the middle, raising its arm.

“The world will finally be in balance.”

Duskford Bureau

March 2016, Duskford​

It was overcast, a blanket of grey obscuring the early noon sun. Snow wafted down from the sky, leaving a thick layer of snow on Duskford's streets. The Duskford Bureau of Thaumaturgy stood tall and proud in the biting cold, its worn and weathered beige-coloured stone walls resistant to the conditions. The entrance seemed to loom over the visitors; rotating glass doors with golden accents continuously spun from those entering and exiting, their coats and scarves flying behind them as a gust of wind rushes by.

The receptionist sat inside, typing away at her desk, the lights behind her drawing a sharp, white outline around her silhouette; it flickered every second or so. An electric blanket hugged her shoulders, fighting off the waves of cold air that managed to sneak through the doors, the picture frames behind her rattling with each gust of wind. A mug of sweet-smelling tea gave off tendrils of white steam, which curled and danced until vanishing. Two more mugs sat beside it, empty, with little dark speckles of remaining tea leaves.

Despite her calm demeanour, all around her was chaos. Many Thaumaturgists scurried about, getting ready for a rather important event that night.

–––––––

The top floor, in the roof greenhouse, was quiet compared to the loud chatter and phone rings in reception. The greenhouse was full of strange plants; some glowed, growled and writhed about in their clay prisons. Bottles of various shapes and colours (a couple gave off sparks, smoke, and bubbles and a few glowed) were kept behind wooden cabinets under a lock. In the centre of the greenhouse was a cauldron bubbling away, the contents being an ominous green colour. A young man had his chocolate shoulder-length locks tied back, exposing his defined jaw (and sending the female students into a mental frenzy) that was clenched in pent up frustration. He sported goggles and an apron, his students around him (who were older than him) also wearing an apron and goggles. His back was towards the cauldron, tossing ingredients inside as he recited a formula rapidly under his breath.

“Lampyris nottiluca abdomen, dried and crushed, sprinkled over base formula. Madoqua guentheri hairs and raffleshia arnoldii boiled before use. Atropa belladonna, omphalotus nidiformis-"

"How do you even spell that?”

"Read the assigned chapters.”

"Um, Mr. Katsaros, I can't really hear you."

"Drink an age reversal potion."

The game of verbal tennis between the Alchemy apprentices and the man’s brusque answers continued on. His grip on the next ingredient tightened, his knuckles turning white and green goo creeping down his wrist. Sure, being the Resident Alchemist of Duskford and having access to the Athenaeum had its perks, but it required him to train Alchemy apprentices (which he's terrible at but refused to admit it). The mere thought of having to share his knowledge and deal with arrogant brats who think Alchemy is easy ticked the man off.

‘It’s like cooking, but with more finesse and risk of losing eyebrow hair,’ he mentally hummed to himself, remembering the last incident with a smirk. ‘No eyebrows for Beatrice.’

“–uh, Mr. Katsaros?”

“Hm?”

“The ectoplasm…” The apprentice pointed at the goo, by then, had reached his elbow, staining his white shirt green.

“Crap,” he muttered and tossed the goo over to the pile of trimmings, mentally taking note to look for more later. “By the way, you didn’t state the ectoplasm's type. Did you even review last week’s notes?”

–––––––

Downstairs, in a large room containing old furniture and bookshelves, a mop of blond hair navigated the labyrinth of furniture. A string of mutters flew from his mouth as he traced each line of the book he held with his finger.

He stops at a cloth-covered table, placing the book over the stacks of other books scattered across the table. Notebooks and loose papers filled with writing were stacked neatly next to his feet on the floor. The blond man stood back and zoned out, thinking about his next move.

'Hm. Looks like the research papers are missing,' he thought, glancing down at worn journals with blackened edges and missing pages. His pale face scrunched up in annoyance and he slammed a fist onto the table with a bang. 'Dammit.'

A voice then called out his name from the hallway, the blond recognising it to be a fellow Vanguard. Alarmed, he hastily grabbed the corners of the tablecloth and dragged the makeshift sack of books to a dark corner of the room. He ran back, picking up the loose papers and notebooks, placing them into a recyclable bin. As he finished, the Vanguard opened the door to see the blond reading a book at the bare table, looking to be a little out of breath. She brushed the observation off, not thinking much of it.

"There you are. Huntin' your skinny ass down is hard, y'know?" She rolled her eyes and waved a notebook around. "Kenji wanted me to tell you that you left a mess behind in the Athenaeum and that he'll void your membership if you mess up one more time. And you left this on the checkout counter."

"N-no. I'll c-clean-n up-p in a m-moment," the man stuttered, chuckling sheepishly and walking over to the annoyed woman, gingerly taking the notebook. "Th-thanks."

"Whatever. Just remember to get ready for the Summit." The Vanguard walked off, leaving the blond man alone in the Archives. The dark-haired woman walked down the hallway, the golden sign that read 'Understudy' gleaming in the corner of her eye. She paused, hearing more moans and giggles coming from behind the door. She, again, rolled her eyes, scoffed, and sped walked away.

A couple of hours later, the black-clad Understudy emerged from his office, oblivious to the lipstick mark below his ear. He confidently sauntered towards the elevator, the elevator dinging open as a Thaumaturgist walked out and past him.

The GMR Summit will be held that night and the Duskford Bureau, like always, was overseeing security. Lawson stopped at Octavia's desk, an eyebrow raised at the amount of mugs that occupied her desk.

"Mr. Holloway."

"Miss Flowers. Have the security squads been assembled?" Octavia nodded and passed a file to Lawson. He flicked through the file, skimming its contents. "I'll head over there now. If my special guest arrives, offer to escort him to the hall."

–––––––

The GMR Summit building was located in the heart of the city, a coliseum-esque structure surrounded by tall, bare trees and marble fountains. A limousine halts at the entrance and a man steps out, a beige coat hanging off his shoulders. Synod council member Gregory Stein frowned at the building then sighed. He grabbed his staff from the car and trudged up to the large doors. He stopped in front of the doors, up close, seeing intricate carvings of both non-gifted and gifted folk interacting throughout the years.

Shannon Trevor AI10100

 

[AI10100]

Matthew twirled the staff around his hands and then pointed the end in front of him. The staff's crystal glowed green and the same color of energy surged out and then shot towards one of the targets. It exploded upon contact and brought up a lot of smoke. The black haired male grinned triumphantly and then softly struck the staff's end onto the ground. He then turned to look at the trainers who were recording his performance.

"Record shot again, Matthew." One of the trainers said as he looked back at his tablet which had the results. "You can go now. It doesn't look like your vacation took a toll on you at all." The man snickered.

"If I let a mini-vacation get to me, then I'm not fit to be in the IOT, don't you think?" Matthew pointed with a chuckle to match the man's. He then looked back at his staff and then it morphed back to the little girl that it was supposed to look like to him. He then patted her head and then she seemed to accept the pat wholeheartedly and then even seemed to make a gesture of what seemed to be a giggle. "Good job Soph. We're good for now." Sophia nodded and then bowed her head. She then disappeared back to the arcane plane where all summons rested in.

"Your relationship with your summon is really interesting. It's like you two know each other so well." The man said. Matthew seemed to not pay any mind to this comment.

"See 'ya around man." Matthew said with a wave and then left the training room. Since it wasn't a very taxing training, he didn't need to change into anything else. He fixed his beanie again and then placed his hands inside his pockets. Unlike many others, he was completely detached to anything else that doesn't relate to helping people out so he never found any interest in research or anything else. Perhaps it was because he was brought up with only that in mind. Even without the 'brainwashing' that was given to him by Eric, that was the only thing that had occupied his mind for such a long time that no other goal ever came to mind now.

The man with a beanie walked around the lobby. He was practically the only one who was rather calm. He heard talk about the Summit. His eyes widened when he remembered something. The Summit. He was part of security. There was a debriefing in like... he looked at his watch and his heart began to beat faster. 'Eight minutes? Oh crap, time to run!' He said before practically sprinting towards the debriefing room. As he passed the receptionist area, he raised his hand. "Heyo Octavia. Don't drink too much!" He said before continuing on.

Matthew practically burst through the door as discreetly as possible. So basically, it wasn't loud, but it definitely would catch some attention from the others who were silent. Seeing as it hadn't started yet, he knew he was safe. Wait, was that Chester? He was pretty much okay with Alexis being there, since there was that slim hope that she wouldn't even bother to reprimand him. But Chester? Oh boy. He scurried off to the side and mentally prepared himself. He always felt like a child when it came to being around them, despite being part of the Vanguard for at least two years now. However, he knew how to suck it all up. It was experience after all. Mr. Talloy always told him to take on criticism without getting angry, so it should apply here as well right?

 

[Shannon Trevor]

The day was bitterly cold but Colonel John Haverson barely took notice of the biting wind as he took the steps up to the Duskford Bureau of Thaumaturgy two at a time.

As he entered the grand foyer two young women gave him an appraising look as they brushed passed him, heading out toward the street. It was something he was long used to. Tall, tanned and flint jawed, John was effortlessly handsome, even well into his mid-forties. His thick, dark hair had greyed at the temples and laughter lines furrowed his brow and tugged at the corner of each eye but neither feature could be considered a blemish, rather they added to the Colonel's distinguished good looks. He had come straight from his office and was dressed in his preferred attire of casual olive green fatigues. The short sleeved shirt was worn tight to his muscular frame clinging to a broad chest and bulging biceps. His pants, snug around the crotch, framed a strong and tone pair of legs. A large, heavy and obviously expensive gold watch was clasped onto John's left wrist to complete the look.

The young receptionist looked up to the Colonel as he approached. John managed to return her smile with one of his own. He sighed inwardly, the confrontation with General Wagstaff still playing in his mind.

"I'm not sure I follow, Sir," he had said when the General had gave him the original briefing.

"The arcane, Haverson. Witchcraft, black magic, the occult and the like."

"I understand all that Sir," John replied carefully. "I'm just not sure how it applies to me."

"National security above you now, Colonel? Break one black market smuggling ring and think you can pick and choose what assignment we give you?"

John had no option but to take the dressing down and then take the assignment and now here he was inside the Bureau of Thaumaturgy. He had no problem with admitting the Bureau done good work. Vital work at that but it was not something he was comfortable with. They should have sent Rachel, he thought to himself as he remembered how excited his daughter had been when he told her where he was going.

He pushed such thoughts from his mind as the Receptionist offered a cheery hello. "Colonel John Haverson. I believe Lawson Holloway is expecting me."

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Duskford Bureau

Octavia nodded and began typing away at her computer. Lawson left her with a wave and walked towards the main hall, passing through the courtyard whilst doing so. Unlike the rest of the city, the courtyard remained lush and had the perfect temperature; not too warm nor too cold. The large fountain in the centre, a marble robed woman holding up a staff from which a small lantern hung from. The lantern spewed out water and it cascaded into the pond, churning up froth and mist. Arcane plants grew alongside the normal plants, some of the Alchemy apprentices tending to them. The snow seemed to vanish as it approached the courtyard, obstructed by an almost transparent dome that sheltered the area.

The Understudy took in the fresh air, his nose picking up the smell of roses and damp earth. He smiled to himself and pushed the glass doors open to see two Sentinels standing by taller mahogany doors at the end of the small hallway. As Lawson approached, the two Sentinels pulled the door open, revealing the five security squads around a long table. Some were seated, some waited at the side. He made his way to the other end of the table and greeted his colleagues with a booming,

"Good afternoon everyone!"

Chester nearly jumped at Lawson's loud greeting, his back being towards the table and not noticing his entrance. He shot Matthew a glare and shook his head.

"You're lucky Lawson's briefing us," Chester muttered as he turned to the Understudy, too tired from dealing with his rowdy apprentices. Lawson had a tendency to be late unlike their beloved chief. It was clear why as Chester spotted the lipstick mark and his slightly disheveled attire. Alexis rolled her eyes and nudged Chester with her elbow.

"Really? I was expecting a fistfight or somethin'," Alexis commented, clearly disappointed.

"C-come on guys," Ike stuttered, his mousy voice not reaching them. "Leave Matthew be. Lawson's gonna c-cast the illusion."

On cue, Lawson's hands glowed a bright purple and their surroundings melted away leaving them in a dark void. The Understudy began to speak and the void shifted again, revealing the GMR building behind him.

"Nearly all of you are no stranger to this task," he started. "Since we have new faces on the security squad's I'll run over what needs to be done." Lawson snapped his fingers again and suddenly, it's as if they were hovering above the GMR building, a bird's eye view of the building below them. Lawson walked about, with a long ruler, pointing to various positions around and in the building where the squads shall be patrolling.

"Squad 3, you'll be on the roof. If anything's amiss, ensure you relay any suspicious sightings to the ground teams," he said, looking over at Chester, Matthew, Ike, and Alexis. "Jesse, you're in charge."

"It's Chester, dammit," Chester murmured and crossed his arms, his irritated expression still on his face.



Octavia only giggled and shook her head at Matthew's comment. Always the ray of sunshine, she would think. She needed something to keep her awake and coffee was completely out of the question. Reception duties and Lawson's endless list of tasks for her on top of that wasn't exactly a walk in the park. At this point, Octavia considered herself to be Lawson's secretary. She downed another mug and set it down gently with the others. The Sentinel ran a hand through her messy hair and checked her watch.

'I'll just grab another mug-'

Her thoughts were interrupted when a green-clad man walked in. He stood out like a sore thumb, all visitors and Thaumaturgists alike wearing coats to protect themselves from the winter chill. Octavia could hear some of the female Thaumaturgists passing her fangirling quietly over the man. She had to admit, he didn't look that bad. He was a little intimidating, however.

"Good afternoon, sir. Yes, he just started the security briefing," Octavia pointed to the large glass doors that lead to the courtyard. "Just across the courtyard and through the tall wooden doors is where it's held. I must warn you, he's most likely using illusion magic so your entrance may disturb the illusion a little. Would you like me to escort you there, sir?"​

 

[Shannon Trevor]

John looked to where the young woman pointed. Her directions were simple enough but the mention of magic gave him pause for concern. The Colonel considered himself a worldly man but his experience with this part of it was almost next to zero.

Almost, he reminded himself as his thoughts drifted back to twenty years before and the Sorcerer who had saved his life.

John offered the young woman another warm smile, the corners of his dark eyes crinkling as he did so. "I think that would be for the best. I'm sure Mister Holloway doesn't want an old man spoiling his show."

 

[AI10100]

Matthew saw Lawson enter and greet them with a booming voice. This caused Matthew to involuntarily grin back - the amount of energy the Understudy released was quickly absorbed by the young amnesiac. There was a certain charm to the to-be leader of their institution. Perhaps it was because he was closer in terms of age to Lawson as opposed to Theodore, or because Matthew found someone who was even more often late to work than himself. It was a surprise really, but there was little anyone could do against the man.

The grin was immediately wiped off his face when Chester finally did acknowledge how irresponsible Matthew had been, and would have been punished more if it had not been Lawson to brief them for the mission. The fact that Octavia was quite disappointed that Chester didn't snap back as severely as before didn't help alleviate Matthew's nervousness. The mere fact that he was in the squad with them made matters worse. 'Way to go Matt.' He bitterly thought to himself. Though a saving grace came in the form of Ike, who tried to jump in his defense - or if anything, to at least avert their attention away from him. Even if Matthew was the only one who even barely heard it, the effort was greatly appreciated.

That was when Lawson casted the illusion and they were now seeing the GMR building from the bird's eye view. Since it had been quite a while since Matthew had been attending these briefings, he actually got used to these so he wasn't gawking around in wonder like what he'd usually do upon seeing an impressive feat of magic. He then listened intently to the mission briefing as to not embarrass himself further. Their mission was relatively simple and didn't raise a single question. So they would be spending it on the rooftops huh? Fair enough. It was a good thing that he could summon Sophia to relay a message to the others. While it can't be a full sentence or even something that makes sense, certain gestures meant something - 'danger', 'safe', and whatnot. It took quite a while to get these learned by the spirit but at least she did.

There was a small smile on his face when Lawson mistakenly called Chester, 'Jesse'. However, he made sure not to let anyone see in fear of being reprimanded all over again.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Duskford Bureau

Octavia stood up and chuckled, brushing biscuit crumbs off her pencil skirt. She placed a 'Back in 10 Minutes!' sign on her desk and left her desk, leading the Colonel to the courtyard. The warmth was like a fluffy blanket, making Octavia almost regretting wearing a turtleneck. She tugged at her collar as she walked along the cobblestone path. The receptionist occasionally threw greetings at passing colleagues. Her phone dinged almost every few seconds, Octavia checking and typing in quick replies.

"I noticed you arrived without a coat," she brought up after tucking her phone away in her pocket and glanced at John, concern in her eyes. "Aren't you cold? I could find you a coat you can borrow for a while." They soon arrived at the hall's entrance. Octavia knocked on the door firmly, her knocks echoing around the empty hallway.


"Squad 5, you'll be stationed at the entrance." Lawson pointed at the GMR building entrance and instructed, with much emphasis and a hint of a childish whine, "Please do not let any radicals slip in. If I wanted a streaker, I'd rather visit the appropriate establishment for that." That elicited a quiet chorus of laughs from some of the Thaumaturgists, the loudest being Alexis. Chester let out an aggravated huff and Ike's pale face flushed red, the memory resurfacing.

"Oi, Matthew, were you there when that streaker broke in and ran around the meeting room?" Alexis asked in a hushed whisper once the laughter died down.

"Squad 6–" The Understudy paused, hearing the knocks and sensing a presence at the edge of his illusion radius. No, two people were at the edge of his illusion.

'Must be my guest,' Lawson thought. He lifted a hand towards the door, the illusion wavering momentarily and said,

"Enter."


Hearing Lawson respond to her knocking, Octavia opened the doors. Being outside the illusion radius, the room looked normal to her and to John as well. To everyone else inside, they don't see John and Octavia; except Lawson of course. Lawson nodded to John in greeting, waving him over.

"Come on in, Colonel."​

 

[Shannon Trevor]

"I'm fine, Miss," John replied, looking down at the young woman walking at his side. It was a rare few seconds while she wasn't distracted by another incoming message on her phone. "Had a stack of reports to get through before I had to rush over here from my office. In my hurry I forgot my coat." The Colonel gave a rueful smile as he shrugged his broad shoulders. In truth, the courtyard they walked through seemed to be a good deal warmer than it had been on the steps of the building. This magic business certainly seems to have its perks, John thought to himself.

He waited as the receptionist knocked the door to what appeared to be a meeting room, dominated by a long mahogany table running up the centre. He could see Thaumaturgists floating high above the GMR building as a man he recognised as Lawson Holloway pointed a ruler at the building's entrance. An illusion spell, John noted. Impressive. Holloway after noticing the pair waved the Colonel forward.

"Thanks for getting me here safely," John said to the receptionist, the corner of his mouth quirking in a friendly manner. As he reached Holloway he extended his hand. "Mister Holloway. Colonel John Haverson."

 

[ReverseTex]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy
Shannon Trevor

Harrison’s flight from New York had greatly set him off sheduale, inevitably resulting his tardiness to the Duskford building. Currently he sat in the back of a town car, flipping through the complementary newspaper that was folded neatly on his seat. He wore a black & whit suit, and a grey wool overcoat. His driver, a man named James, sat quietly as he drove through the Duskford traffic. Looking up from his paper, he locked eyes with the driver in the rear view, and his thoughts revealed a hole. I wonder if Tim will be mad i’ll be late to his game... Whoever this Harrison Darcy is can go... That’s rude, I shouldn’t be thinking that. He’s a client, he’s paying, he deserves respect... “Need anything Mr. Darcy? We’re almost there.” He smiled politely and shook his head “I’m just fine James, thank you.”

The remainder of the ride was silent, due to the need to focus mentally. The Bureau would be heavily populated, and a clear mind was needed. And by time her arrived, his mind was a temple. His door was opened by a lower member of the Order, who he dipped his head to as he exited the car. Fixing his cuffs, he strolled in, knowing the way to the meeting room like the back of his hand.

Harrison adjusted his glasses as he entered, spotting a few faces he recognized, but none he urgently needed to speak to. But a stiff military man caught his eye, sadly his thoughts were blocked to him. Not for long at least. Making his way over, he smiled, extending his hand. “Harrison Darcy, head of the New York Bureau, who might you be?”

 

[AI10100]

Matthew listened quietly, his eyes now wandering. However, his attention was snapped back when Lawson made a joke about that one time a streaker burst in. Who knew someone could do something like that? He chorused in with the laughs, the weight of dread he was feeling earlier was washed away by it. He was seriously glad that Lawson was the one who was conducting this briefing. A little humor can definitely go a long way. He saw Chester and Ike react negatively to it. As the laughs died out, so did his.

He then turned to Alexis and then gave her a grin. "Yep. It was definitely the highlight of the day." He whispered back. They were the small things in life that may not have been good, but it was still funny to look back to every now and then. Fortunately, this was the perfect time and place to look back to it to release some tension. That was when everyone heard a knock and he looked towards the door to which Lawson responded to.

They couldn't see who it was, at first. But then as he stepped forward and entered the illusion, Matthew was surprised. He didn't know who it was, a surprising feat if he was from the Order. Matthew was a friendly guy and had conversed with almost everyone at least once. But, perhaps he wasn't from the Order. The guest was an older man, probably decades older than him. He looked experienced, and rather handsome if he were to admit it.

'Colonel John Haverson, huh?' Matthew etched the name on his mind since it would seem like he would be seeing more of the colonel after this if he was acquainted with Lawson. Anyhow, seeing as he used 'Colonel' meant that he had a rank within the military force. A high one at that. That was pretty impressive. He was looking forward to talking with him; if anything, he liked finding more about people who help - whether it be firemen or marines.

That was when Harrison Darcy entered as well, extending his hand to the Colonel. Matthew visibly shrank at the sight of Harrison. If he had to state the reason, it was because he was a telepath. While Matthew had nothing to hide, his experience with Mental Magicians weren't exactly the best. They had been helping him lately to make him remember his past, yes, but that also meant that they had free access to anything inside his head. The reason why he can't remember anything before his thirteenth year was also because of one of them - who exactly, he wasn't sure.

Basically, Matthew was scared. However, he already had his back to the wall. He just had to smile and wait it out. Harrison was a good guy, respected among the ranks of the Order. Matthew held him in high regard as well. He had nothing against the man personally - heck, he didn't even remotely hate the man. Just fear him... slightly... maybe a little more than slightly. Harrison had been one of the many Mental Magicians who tried to unlock his memories. Despite his good reputation, the magic sealing his memories was still too strong. No one blamed Harrison for failing nor did anyone brush him off because of this - the fact that no one has been able to solve Matthew's problem saves anyone from the embarrassment of failure.

He turned his head slightly to Alexis but kept the sight of the two men in his peripherals. "You know who that guy is?" He whispered, gesturing to the colonel. Maybe someone else did know who it was. Maybe Alexis knew.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Duskford Bureau

Octavia smiled up at John and nodded, saying her farewells. Before she left, she peeked in, smiled and waved at Matthew, Ike, Alexis, and Chester. The conjurer turned and left, the sound of her clacking heels fading. Lawson shook the Colonel's hand firmly, his cheery demeanour shifting to a more professional one. When it came to the Bureau's reputation, the Understudy'd take his visitors more seriously than normal. To have someone from outside the Order, not to mention the Intelligence Community, within their walls was a little nerve-wracking to Lawson. Still, the man politely returned the introduction.

"Understudy Lawson Holloway. A pleasure to have you here. Everyone," Lawson took his hand back from the hand shake and gestured to the man. "Colonel Haverson will be attending the Summit along with us. Please, treat him well." As soon as he finished his sentence, he sensed another presence near his illusion. Lawson averted his gaze to the man who entered, recognising him to be the chief of the New York Bureau. His poor understudy taking the reins as well, eh?

'What's with all the chiefs leaving their understudy to babysit their bureau?' He thought, chuckling to himself.

'Open the rift, my dear. Let me take control. Let me unleash the wonders of the Arcane upon this sinful world.' No-one in the room but Chief Darcy heard the thought. Its voice was dark and warped, like a mix of different people spoke at the same time. It was almost painful to hear. 'Oh? Someone heard us...'

Alexis shrugged and shook her head. She barely paid attention when it came to anything outside of the Order, not finding it worthy of her time. The sorceress whispered back,

"Nah. He's a looker though."

"Look! The NYB chief," Ike whispered, this time more audible enough just for the four of them. Chester raised an eyebrow, scanning the man from head to toe.

"Oh, that guy. Theo mentioned him once," the alchemist commented. "What's he doing here?"

After Colonel Haverson and Chief Harrison exchanged greetings, Lawson also gave the chief a greeting before facing the security squads. He almost laughed at how tardy he and his esteemed guests were. After running over each squad's duties, the meeting was adjourned. Everyone filed out of the room, off to make some last-minute preparations before leaving. Lawson stayed with his two guests. Ike, Alexis, and Chester remained together, stopping in the courtyard by the fountain.​

 

[ReverseTex]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy
Shannon Trevor

Harrison was nodded to the Colonel, who which replied quite oblegly. This man didn’t have anything interesting in his mind, and so he left. Having a few words with a Lawson, who he had met once before in Beijing, the two briefly exchanged greetings. Just as he was about to make his way to Theo, an old friend of his, he was disturbed...

A screeching voice overwhelmed his mind, causing him to stumble back, practically loosing his balance. He barely felt the fall, as he was to preoccupied to even fathom tanagble things. “Indeed I heard you....” Harrison mustered mentally to this forsaken voice, and just like that, he was left in a mad fury of people.

Blinking his amber eyes rapidly, forgetting where he was momentarily, he took a deep breath. “Thank you all, im fine. Just a tumble I suppose...” He hurriedly scanned the room, spotting the white beard of Theo’s like a sore thumb. “ Chief Pinkerton, a word in private please...”

 

[AI10100]

Matthew gave a small wave to Octavia when he saw her pop in for a moment before taking her leave. Once more the higher ups were exchanging pleasantries so he turned his attention to his fellow security squads - mainly Alexis, Chester and Ike. He couldn't help but snicker when she answered him, but he was no closer to an answer. That was when Ike pointed Harrison out as he entered. Yet again, the chill ran down his spine. Gods, he really should get used to any Mental Magician out there.

"I really hope he doesn't come with us to GMR." He muttered, loud enough for the three around him to hear. He would at least be able to fully concentrate without having to think about a telepath suddenly bursting into his mind for an answer. They've done that before, it wasn't Harrison though, but it still left quite a memory. He was simply minding his own business when someone decided to attack his mind to get the answers. Of course, it didn't work. But the surprise and shock was still left in his memory.

Theodore seemed to have been good friends with Harrison, or at least acquaintances. Matthew wasn't surprised. That should have been obvious. What did surprise him was when the NYB Chief stumbled and fell, as if he, himself, had been assaulted with something. He brushed it off as a simple stumble, but it was suspicious. Matthew simply shrugged it off as Lawson turned his attention back to them to continue explaining what they needed to do.

When they were finished, everyone filed out and Matthew followed the three. "Wouldn't want to be late again right?" He said with a joke and an apologetic look at Chester. He'd really rather not get in Chester's bad side. The guy was easily irritated and Matthew guessed that it wouldn't be good for anyone if their leader was angry at one guy. It's not like he had to do anything special to do either. He was always prepared for anything. Even if he did forget the briefing, it didn't mean he forgot about the whole thing as he already came prepared. Or well, as prepared as he could be.

 

[Shannon Trevor]

John nodded as he was introduced to the group. His uniform and his rather advanced age, at least compared to most everyone else in the room, immediately marked him as different. It was a strange thought, for so long he had thought of these 'gifted' individuals as the outsiders. Now he was in their midst and he was the oddity.

As he scanned the room he noticed two of the magic wielders looking in his direction. With their hushed tones and sly glances, it wasn't hard to work out they were talking about him. The Colonel checked the time on his gold watch as an older man entered . John's introduction to Harrison Darcy was brief, the Colonel had barely told the man his name before he had wandered off leaving the John alone with Holloway once more.

The meeting was adjourned soon after. John waited until the room was nearly empty before turning to Holloway. "Sorry for being late," he said apologetically, tapping the face of his watch. "Held up at the office. Is there anything you would like to discuss now that we're alone?"

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Duskford Bureau

After the Colonel and Chief Darcy, Theo Pinkerton arrived at the Bureau, stepping out of a dark limousine. A brown coat hung from his shoulders like a cape and his hands were stuffed in his pockets. His black tie stood out against his crisp white dress shirt. Concealed underneath Theo's coat was his gun holster, ceremonial pistols snug in place. The tall chief strode through the revolving doors, receiving greetings from fellow Thaumaturgists.

"Chief Pinkerton! Good to have you back, sir!"

"Hey Chief!"

Theo only nodded in acknowledgement. He was, as always, barely expressive. His hazel eyes were like closed windows, not allowing his soul to be seen. No one really knew he was feeling. Still, his colleagues knew he cared for the Bureau very much.

It'd been a while since stepping inside the Duskford Bureau. The familiar scent of Octavia's Lady Grey tea greeted the chief, reminding him of all the kind smiles sent his way by the receptionist. The marble floors gleamed under the warm light of the chandelier that hung high above the foyer. An ivy-like plant that glowed blue grew along the rails of the many balconies of each floor overlooking the foyer. Large portraits of all of Duskford's Chiefs decorated the dark walls, one of Theo staring back at him. Theo felt himself grimace at the picture, wondering why portraits are compulsory. The hours wasted of sitting as still as a statue could've been used for important manners, he'd remember thinking that day.

"Chief Pinkerton?"

"Hm?" Theo tore his gaze away from his portrait, seeing Octavia returning to her desk and grab her electric blanket.

"Welcome back! Mr. Holloway is in the hall with a guest. The security briefing should be done by now," she informed, wrapping the blanket around herself and sitting down.

"I see. I'll drop by to check things with Lawson."

–––––––––––

"Of course. It'd be preferable if we could sit down for this but..." Lawson quickly looked at his watch, the arms marking 5:29pm. It was likely that a Synod councillor had made their way there. Lawson needed to speak with whoever it was before it starts, the file in his hand feeling heavier by the minute. To think he'd be entrusted with something as valuable as this. "The summit will be starting in half an hour. It'll take us a few minutes to get to the GMR building but showing up early wouldn't hurt. How does talking on the way sound?"


Chester glanced at his watch and nodded at Matthew's comment. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, feeling the consequences his all-nighter and stress from teaching catch up to him. Chester brushed his hair back and said,

"Ike, you're driving us there so get your ass over to the carpark. Alexis, you'll be fetching the ear pieces and our ceremonial equipment. Matthew," Chester paused, the corners of his lips pulling back in a sly smile. "Fetch my utility belt. The one with all my alchemy tools and to-go ingredients. We'll meet at the carpark in ten minutes." Little did Matthew know that one of Chester's students messed up on a formula, the cauldron exploding and filling the room with a rancid stink. Punishment for his tardiness, he thinks. Maybe he'd be quicker when grabbing his stuff and getting out.

"What!? Oh hell no!" Alexis exclaimed. "Let me drive! I just got this sweet ride–"

"Fuck your sweet ride. I want to live," Chester grumbled back, turning away from Alexis and speed walking away. Ike chased after him, mouthing a 'see ya' at Alexis and Matthew.

"It was only 20 miles over the speed limit!"

"Only 20 miles my ass!" Chester yelled back. Alexis sighed and crossed her arms, muttering something about a 1956 Ferrari and Ike's mum sedan and weird music.

"I guess I'll see you later, Matthew." With a half-assed wave, Alexis took off to the Bureau's arsenal.


Theo inwardly chuckled to himself at Chester and Alexis' bantering and shook his head. Sometimes, he feels as if he was in a daycare with individuals like them running around. It brings back memories of the times he'd spend the holidays in Austria with his family, playing Santa for his grandchildren (a scarily stoic Santa, according to his son). Theo stepped in the hall, stopping in his tracks seeing Lawson in a conversation with a man in fatigues. He furrowed his brows together in puzzlement.

"Hm?" Hearing his name being called, Theo turns to the voice's owner, seeing Chief Darcy. "Ah, it's been a while, Darcy. Let's talk in a different room. Don't want to disturb those two," he said, pointing at Lawson and the man. "This way." Theo led the NYB chief out of the room and into the room next door which happened to be a library. Theo's eyes were caught on the recycling bin, the bright red 'CONFIDENTIAL' stamp glaring back at him.

'I'll have to investigate that later,' Theo mentally noted.

"So, what brings you here all the way to Duskford?"​

 

[ReverseTex]

]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy
Shannon Trevor

Harrison followed Theo through the building, and into what appeared to be a library of sorts. Making his way to a large leather armchair, he rested his arms on its back, and sighed.

“I’m here for the Summit of course. Anything diplomatic for the The Order in the U.S usually draws my presence.” He said as he adjusted his glasses, and ran a hand through his tossed hair from the stumble. ‘Damned voices. Always slithering. Hmph’ His mind still on the words the mysterious voices spoke, he paused for a moment, determining if he wanted to share what had happened. “But Theo, this is your responsibility of course as Chief, and I feel I should alert you...”

“Just a moment ago, I heard something. Something dangerous, and something that is hard for me to grasp... But, I grasp that there is another attempt to open a Rift...”

 

[AI10100]

Matthew did not hesitate to comply but stayed until the end of Chester's orders. He and Alexis had been bantering about the car. Matthew had not been present the last time Alexis had decided to drive, but based on her attitude, he was pretty sure that Chester wasn't exaggerating it. They all bid farewell to each other and Matthew simply waved at them before he began jogging towards Chester's are of work. He at least knew where that was. Whether it had been ingrained into him by someone or he learned it all by himself, he wasn't sure.

"Alchemy tools and ingredients huh? Well, if I remember correctly, it should just be there." He muttered to himself. He didn't make any detours and simply greeted those he knew while he was getting there. Slowing down to a stop in front of the Alchemy room, he opened it and then stumbled in.

To say that he almost passed out from the stench would be an exaggeration, but he did almost double over because of it. It wasn't so much the smell but more because he was surprised. It certainly made him stop for a while. "Damn, you'd think someone had been dead here for a while..." He rolled his eyes at the thought before trudging on inside. Just as suspected, Chester's tools were easy to find and wasn't difficult to get. Taking the stuff quickly, he immediately walked out and shut the door behind him to spare anyone outside from the odor coming from inside. "Wait a minute, Soph doesn't have a nose..." He told himself. Right, he could have simply used his summon to get it instead of braving the stench himself. He wasn't in the best of mindsets, it would seem. Shrugging and telling himself what's done is done, he began jogging back to the meeting place with a lot of time to spare.

Not once did he think that it was punishment. He thought that it was just an honest to goodness accident. He wondered what could have caused such a powerful odor, but considering that they were alchemists, he guessed that there were a number of ways. Matthew wasn't keen on finding them out, but it may be useful as a sort of stink bomb. Ha, stink bomb. The mere thought of lobbing them at people seemed to considerably lighten his mood and soon he was jovially jogging to the meeting area.

Thanks to his promise to not be late, he had arrived rather early at the meeting place and waited for them to be complete. He was humming a rather happy tune and was tempted to summon Sophia, if not for the fact that he might be wasting needless energy just before a big Summit. Ah, he wanted to get his energy all built up so he could have Sophia active all the time. Playing with his summon was his favorite past time, since she learned how to play cards and all. People told him that he was too attached to her, but he couldn't care any less.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

Duskford Bureau

“Most chiefs don’t attend. Some find it to be immensely boring or a waste of time.”

Theo remained standing, leaning on a wooden table nearby as he listened to the NYB chief. Unfortunately for him, being the DB chief, Theo’s practically forced to go to every summit there was since he earned the rank. It’s always been paperwork and meetings since becoming chief. If he was lucky, he’d be granted an occasional mission from the Synod.

The chief listened to Harrison’s claims with a frown. Deep in the recesses of his mind, Theo very much wanted to deny the prospect of another Rift. Still, this was Darcy he was talking about. Theo doubted the man would lie to him about something this grave.

“What exactly did you hear? I need details,” said the chief. There was a hint of haste in his voice, but his composure remained calm. He was panicking inside, clear in the way he was tapping his fingers lightly on the table repeatedly. “I can’t let a Rift appear tonight. Especially not in Duskford. No one should be able to open up a Rift, unless…” No. It shouldn’t be possible. All members involved with the project had their memories locked away. All the research was kept from untrustworthy hands as well. “…I’ll relay the information to security and the Sentinels before we leave. If only there were a way to track whoever it was down.”

GMR Summit Building

Chester softly snored, the quiet jazz lulling him to sleep. Alexis and Matthew sat in the back, Alexis polishing her handgun and holding it up to the light and smiling at its shine. Ike’s driving was opposite to Alexis; He drove almost at a snail’s pace (what Alexis described it to be anyway). Every turn, every stoplight, the sorcerer took seriously. Alexis had been trying not to comment on his driving as Ike’ll grow anxious, crash, and kill them all.

–––––––––––

Night had fallen, sending an even colder gust of wind through the city. The rooftop was a large circle, a tiled dome roof in the centre. Each member of squad 3 was spread out, covering north, south, east, and west points of the roof. Chester walked about his designated position, eyes peeled and hands on his utility belt. Various vials and ingredients glowed through the pockets and containers. Alexis had seated herself on the roof ledge, legs dangling back and forth as she laughed with someone over the phone. Ike stood there, timidly looking around, shrunken into his jacket collar like a turtle.

Inside was toasty warm, but the tension that filled the air made it unbearable to breathe. It was obvious many inside the summit room distrusted each other. Whispers, dirty glances and just plain ignoring each other was commonplace. Theo was assigned a seat in the lowest tier with Harrison, having front seats. Lawson and John were seated one row behind them. They covered the smaller issues first, such as riots, the recent rogue attack, etc. The main event arrived however, the whispers falling silent as a government official called for the Pioneer Project and the Chimera Group files. Theo tensed up as Lawson slid out of his seat, walking down the steps to hand the files over.

The memory of liberating the test subjects was as clear as day to Theo. There weren’t many of them. According to the group’s database, they had many more test subjects but all had passed during experimentation.

As Lawson was about to hand the folder over, he felt the building shook. He stopped, seeing tables and vases rattle. The next thing he knew, a deafening explosion broke through the ceiling, rubble falling. Theo points at the falling rubble, the rubble glowing yellow before falling away into sand. Sand covered the room, attendees crawling out of the sand and looking up at the gaping hole in the roof to see a purple vortex staring back at them. The rift sent another shockwave of energy, tables flying and walls falling over.

“Get ready to contain the entities!’ Chester yelled into the earpiece. Alexis, sitting on the ledge prior to the explosion, was now hanging from it. She gritted her teeth and started pulling herself up only to come face-to-face with a humanoid creature, where its eyes would be only hollow sockets with a little glowing orb of light inside. She released her grip on the ledge with one hand, thrusting it out towards the creature. Fire spurted out of her hands and covered the arcane entity. It screamed and clawed at her, Alexis dropping back down to avoid her face getting ripped off. She shimmied along the ledge, the rough stone cutting into her skin.

More strange creatures fell and fly out of the swirling mass of energy, many dropping into the meeting room. Blood was spilt and a strange plant sprouted out from the sand, giving off a noxious gas that started to fill the room. Prioritising everyone’s safety, Theo began fighting off the creatures. Lawson dropped the file in haste, guiding an injured man outside.

A cloaked figure floated out of the rift, hovering above the ruined GMR building. As it did so, the vortex disappeared. At the cloaked being’s appearance, the same distorted voice broke into Chief Darcy’s mind.

‘Find the files, my dear. You know which one I speak of.’

 

[ReverseTex]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy

Harrison sighed, remembering the voice as clear as day. “The voice said to open up the rift. Let the arcane powers flow... But this voice. It was very distorted, similar to what a static radio would sound like to you folk. Usually it means of inexperience, or just plain power.” Nodding as Theo said he’d inform his Sentinals and Vanguard, seeing as he didn’t have any with him. And with that, the worry began to spread...

——————————————————————————————

Harrison sat besides Theo, sipping a glass of water, his eyes scanning the Summit. The usual diplomatic proceedings had been underway, and one of Theo’s men, Lawson, was passing files around. Flipping his open, he scoffed, seeing the weak information. He knew Lawson’s or Theo’s would most likely contain more. New York had many more files on the Pioneer and Chimera, but he would let this...

A shudder shot his attention away from the files and back to reality. And just before he could do anything, he was drenched in sand. Coughing, he dug himself up, as the panicked thoughs and hearts of the guests pounded at his head like a drum. This drumming would continue, until the voice returned... Clasping his head, both noises were driving him crazy. But the voice stood out. “Let me guess. These files have some importance...” Was his only response, as he saw Lawson drop his. Blinking, he hurried over to the files, snatching them as he dodged a creature, and tucking them in his breast pocket. Spotting a young woman bleeding heavily, he hurried over and picked her up, soothing her as he exited the building.

 

[AI10100]

Matthew was simply looking over the ledge onto the entrance. He had been stationed at the roof that looked at it. One by one, the delegates came and entered. Some of them seemed to know each other. His summon had been patrolling around as well - the silhouette of a little girl seemed to not pay much attention to their companions around. She had been familiar with them so she really didn't have a need to shy away from them, but she kept her distance and kept herself close to her master.

He adjusted his beanie as he began walking around as well. Everyone had entered and the conference was starting, he assumed. He then called Sophia back and then they started playing with cards. He did keep his eyes around - looking up every now and then while he played with her. One could equate what he was doing as irresponsibility but Sophia was much more aware of the magic around them which meant she would notice anything wrong. They were in the middle of revealing their cards when Sophia looked up quickly. Matthew was about to alert Chester but was too late.

In a beat, everything went wrong.

A vortex had appeared and released the first shockwave which broke through the ceiling and threw practically everyone out of balance. He saw Alexis fall forward but managed to catch herself on the ledge. Matthew, himself, had fell down and then the second shockwave came. He heard Chester's voice through the earpiece and then he bolted straight up to see that creatures had fell from the rift. However, it soon closed. There was around five enemies on the rooftop. He saw Alexis attack one of the humanoid entities who slashed at air since she had managed to dodge. "Sophia! Distract that!" He ordered and the small summon charged to the other arcane being and then balled her hands together and then aimed a hit towards its face. Hitting it with the supernatural force that the small summon carried would definitely faze it, even for a while. But damaging it wasn't the goal. It was merely a bonus.

Meanwhile, Matthew sprinted towards Alexis. "Come on man, let's get going." He said through grit teeth as he reached for her arm and then pulled her up. Once she was up, he would stretch his arm towards Sophia. She let out a small blast of light and then a staff appeared on Matthew's hands. He aimed the staff at humanoid entity and it let out a green blast.

He left that one for Alexis as he continued to rush over to the others. Ike was already in the process of going down. Matthew nodded at him before shooting three more green bolts of arcane magic at one of the other arcane beings. He was actively trying to get the enemy's attention so that the others can pick them off from behind.

He had no idea what the situation inside the GMR was, but he was pretty damn sure that it wasn't good.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

GMR Summit Building

Alexis gratefully gave him a light punch on the shoulder, no words exchanged (as if they had time for proper 'thank you's). She drew both her hands back, her palms bursting into flames. The sorceress thrusted both of her hands out with a grunt, a radiant sphere of fire travelling with high speed towards the grotesque, purple form that resembled a human figure. Her spell exploded on impact and Alexis watched as the entity vanished into a purple mass of energy before disappearing. With a smirk, Alexis moved on to her next target with blazing hands, excitement flaring up within her.

Chester stuffed the final ingredient into a small vial, the substance growing immensely brighter and hotter. He looked behind him as he ran, two arcane beings a few feet behind him. Chester tossed the sparking vial behind him and dove to the side, the vial exploding into a beautiful array of colours and sparkles, akin to fireworks, and sending the two creatures back. On fire, they screeched and clawed at their bodies, their forms melting. Chester started working on another formula, as always, reciting his creations under his breath like a comforting mantra.

Ike felt himself shake and his throat dry up as he carefully scaled down the building, avoiding the hooded figure's sight. With no form of safety, only his hands gripping onto the carved columns and the large cracks in the walls, Ike's pace was agonisingly slow, much like his driving. The chaos below him only tempted the sorcerer to jump down onto the sand.

Theo swung his hands upwards, his arms encased with a yellow glow, and a pillar or rock struck another ghastly entity, the creature flying back onto another. He spots Ike just above and directed a hand towards him, another pillar shooting up from the ground. Ike faltered, feeling the pillar of rock's hard impact below him. Sighing with relief, Ike dropping onto the pillar and raced down, unleashing a battlecry as he shot arcs of lighting at the entities.

The cloaked figure watched as Harrison escaped with the injured lady, smirking under its hood.

'To think you could escape unscathed?' It chuckled, its thoughts again reaching the telepath. The hooded figure flew after Harrison, vanishing into the shadows. Occupied with fighting off the entities, Theo and Ike didn't notice.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the meeting room, arcane entities surround a survivor. She wasn't gifted. Bruises blossomed across her visible skin and blood trickled from her scalp. She held a simple handgun. The weapon not ceremonial, it had no effect on the entities as she shot at them in a frenzied manner. They inched towards her with bloodthirsty eyes. Another shot joined the out of tune symphony of explosions, this time an entity falling over. One by one, an entity fell. Colonel John emerged from the sand and rubble, a ceremonial sidearm in hand plucked from the ground (probably from an unfortunate Thaumaturgist). He too was injured but years as a seasoned Ranger made grazes and large bruises seem more like a paper cut to the Colonel.

As Harrison exited the building, he was faced with a magical barrier. It was transparent, but he could see a light purple glow. Behind the barrier stood a man in his mid-thirties and of asian descent, thin eyes holding a heavy amount of focus. In his right hand was a tome, the other hand outstretched towards the barrier. A circle of light surrounded the man, signalling a ceremonial spell taking place.

"Chief Darcy! Come on!" A random Thaumaturgist waved him over, on cue, the barrier opening up in front of him. "Kenji can't hold it open for you much longer!"

Kenji Starling, a skilled ceremonial, Athenaeum scholar, and one of the gifted's renowned authors of spell books, continued to hold the barrier up, ignoring everything around him as best he can. Just a light flinch or a slight waver of his focus would weaken the barrier which'll allow the arcane entities through. Not breaking his concentrated gaze at the barrier, he asked,

"How many entities inside?"

 

[ReverseTex]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy

Harrison had barely maneuvered his way through the battle, and was clutching the unknown diplomat woman with all his life. He could feel her blood staining his suit, but the price of a life outweighed clothing by a landslide.

Just again the voice spoke, causing him to run faster. But just as he was exiting the building, a light-purple barrier became immediantly visible. A protection shield. Spotting it’s caster, he hurried through, setting the woman gently on the concrete. Taking a moment to recover, he grunted as he stood.

“I’m not sure, but it looks like another ‘96 gentlemen... Cheif Pinkermen and other Vanguards are inside, and there’s some arcane power I still cannot point. So i’m going in. If I don’t return in 20 minutes, call New York and tell them to send a clean-up team. Duskford I imagine has its own, although mine will be higher quality.” Adjusting his glasses, he gave a nod to the caster as he stepped back in the bubble.

“Why don’t you face me? We can play mind-games all day, but true nobility is ones presence.... Do you not agree you coward?” The thought projected loudly, knowing it could span across the entire building to any mental-able telepaths. Whoever this man was, he would get the message.

 

[AI10100]

Matthew nodded at Alexis. With her handling the humanoid figure and Chester managing to destroy two of the others, it only landed him with one more that he had attacked. The figure looked at him, their hollow eyes staring straight into his soul. Matthew smirked and then prepared his staff as it began barreling towards him. The gem began to glow green again and then it let out two bursts of green orbs of light and then shot towards it. It quickly made contact and then exploded. The figure had been reduced to nothing by then. He smirked to himself, thinking that he did a good job.

He saw Ike began going down. Matthew looked up to see that the robed figure had moved. "Chester, I'm going after him!" He said to his earpiece before quickly moving towards the flying robed figure. Though, the main problem was that the figure was flying and he was simply running. He aimed two arrow shots towards the robed figure in hopes of bringing him down, but he didn't assume that it would be able to catch the robed figure as he was going quite fast.

Matthew knew he had to get that robed figure. He was the only suspect that they had here, unless there was someone else on the inside. Whoever this person was is probably important since he had opened a rift that destroyed the GMR building. He had to get him. He had to pay for what he has done. He shot two more arrows of green arcane energy towards the robed figure.

 

[monochromegalaxy]

GMR Summit Building

Kenji only raised a brow at the chief's comment while the young thaumaturgist gasped, clearly offended. Yes, little rivalries occur between branches so it was no surprise to Kenji. As the thaumaturgist was about to shoot the chief with a snide comment back, Kenji shook his head and said,

"Tend to the lady." The thaumaturgist was about to argue but his words were hitched in his throat, flinching at Kenji's serious expression. As he did so, a thick fog rolled in, two teams of Duskford Vanguards emerging, equipped with ceremonial weapons. An alchemist looked back at the fog, grinning to herself, chest puffed out in pride.

'If only professor Katsaros were here to see this! My travelling fog potion was a success,' she thought then turned to her group, her grin gone. "Look alive, team! Once we're inside the quarantine area, I expect you to stick to your objective. Let the security teams handle the rest." A chorus of 'yes ma'am's sounded from the team. "Let's go."

––––––
​

The roof was finally rid of any otherworldly screams, all entities vanquished. Chester rested himself against a gargoyle statue, catching his breath and checking his utility belt. Despite the winter night's cold embrace, a thin layer of sweat accumulated over Chester's face. Half of his ingredients were used and a few bottles and vials were lightly cracked from all the dives, tumbles, and punches taken.

'It took a damn good potion to put down that bastard,' Chester thought and bitterly smiled, his eyes wandering over to the fleshy lump emanating a purple glow. Alexis also had the same idea of resting, taking a moment to replenish her arcane energy.

Chester's thoughts wandered over to Matthew, remembering his voice over the earpiece. He mentioned going after the main suspect of the rift to which Chester only scowled at. A reckless dumb-ass, Chester would often call him every time he'd come across Matthew in the hospital wing, being tended by Denise. As much as Chester would like to charge back into the action, he knew at this state he'd need to take it easy. He wasn't too sure how many more entities are out and about.


The entities in the meeting room were also disposed of, but the strange gas lingers. The gas had already begun to take effect, Ike's vision wavering and his lungs burning. The pale man felt his eyes water and his desire of sleeping right there growing hard to resist. He glanced over at his chief, seeing Colonel Haverson's arm slung over Theo's. Theo dragged the colonel out of the room with what remaining willpower he had left. Ike followed, dragging himself along the sand, bodies, and piles of glowing flesh from the entities. The colonel was out cold, his breathing shallow and ragged.

'The gas' effects must've been worse for him.' Being an ordinary human, Theo understood why the gas was more potent towards Colonel Haverson. He had no affinity with arcane energy thus the vulnerability when it comes to anything to do with the arcane. Despite the thaumaturgist's stronger immunity, the side effects don't discriminate.


The robed figure laughed to itself, watching their pursuers, mildly entertained. They knew their pursuers' after peering into their minds. Every memory, every thought, every dark desire exposed to the stranger veiled in black.

'I've little care for nobility nor for your weak insults,' the robed stranger's noise-like voice echoes into Chief Darcy's mind. 'If you love nobility so much, why don't you give up those files, hm? The future of the world will thank you if you make the right choice–' The robed stranger's thought ceased. A second passes. Another one passes without noise. Suddenly,

'NO! DAMN YOU!' Out of the corner of Harrison's eye, a smaller rift materialises. Despite its size, it still managed to send a powerful blast of energy across the room. Being close by, the blast knocked the air out of Harrison's chest, him flying across the cracked floor with a pained grunt. The next thing the NYB chief knew, he was on the floor, one side of his face cut up and bloody. Harrison's signature glasses were gone and his vision was blurred. The robed figure flies towards the rift and it closes behind them, no trace left behind but a shockwave of its loud thoughts running through every individual's mind in the area.

Chester doubled over and grunted, hearing the last words of the robed figure shattering his mind. He scratched at his ears, desperate for the pain to stop. Alexis screeched, taken by surprise. The two Vanguard's eyes meet, the same question in their minds,

'What the hell was that?'


Kenji's concentration was broken, the barrier fading into the night. He pressed a hand against his temple, rubbing it gently. Kenji's brows knitted together, bewildered at the strange voice that just spoke into his mind. One thing was for sure...

"...we're screwed," Kenji stated out loud.

 

[ReverseTex]

Harrison Darcy

Interactions/Mentions:
monochromegalaxy

Harrison had decided to enter the main room through a different route, his mind blocked, which allowed him cover from the entity finding his location. He felt the file in his jacket, now folded and most likely covered in blood, but still it was safe. Whatever it be inside, it intrigued him greatly. The information itself he would decide if it needed sharing.

Suddenly the voice replied, making him pause, as he listened to the voice carefully. “I do tend to be a polite person, so insults were never my fourté. As for the files, I shall guard them with my life, whatever it be enclosing.” The strangers voice ceased for a moment, as he waited for a reply. But none came...

The voice cursed, shouting within his head like a banshee, staggering him back a few feet at the sheer volume. Just as he recovered, he spotted another rift, small but still powerful. And just as he was about to react, the wave of energy shot him across the room.

Only a light blood-gurgled grunt emerged, trying to take in what happened. He was wet, blood perhaps...? He was cold, the marble floor most likely... Defiantly blood, he could taste it, but his vision was badly blurred in one eye... Wait, he had two eyes. One failed to work. Pushing himself off of a pile of glass and marble, laying awkwardly on the floor, he felt something shift in his face, sending a searing pain throughout his head. Letting out a cry, he rose a shaky hand to his face, to immediantly feel a shard of glass buried deep in his head. His right side...? Yes. Twitching, he felt another tingle on his cheek, another scratch most likely. Taking a deep breath, he carefully wrapped his hand around the glass, and without thought, ripped it free.

A loud cry of agony emerged, paired with the removal of the glass. Containing chucks and parts of who knows what, he tossed it aside, as he tried to regain his haggard breaths. Finally, from both blood loss and shock, he fell unconscious.